UFC interim bantamweight champion Petr Yan was given a hero’s reception as he returned to Russia following his victory over Cory Sandhagen at UFC 267 in Abu Dhabi.
Yan claimed the 135lbs interim crown with a unanimous decision victory over his American rival in a contest hailed as among the most technically brilliant title tussles in recent UFC memory.
Yan now has his sights on a unification fight with Jamaican-American rival Aljamain Sterling, who controversially claimed the bantamweight title from him when the Russian was disqualified for an illegal knee strike in their bout back in March.
The pair had been due to rematch this year before Sterling withdrew with injury, leading to Sandhagen stepping in.
As Siberian star Yan, 28, returned to Koltsovo Airport with his family and team members on Monday, he was greeted by friends and fans waving Russian flags.
“For this fight, I was just so focused and I gave myself the attitude that I had to get this belt back, even if by some means or other I lost it, but I had to pull myself together and do my thing,” Yan said.
“I was cold-blooded, calculating, and did my job.”
Sterling has said he is prepared to meet ‘No Mercy’ in January or February of next year to determine the division’s undisputed king.
With his victory over the highly-rated Sandhagen, Yan improved his career record to 16 wins in 18 fights. Sterling is currently 20-3 in his career, but has not lost since December of 2017.
